Khamzat Chimaev desires a matchup with Alex Pereira, the UFC's recently crowned middleweight champion. Whereas Dana White, the president of the UFC, has indicated that he wants Chimaev to contest against Colby Covington at welterweight. Chimaev (12-0) informed the promotion this week that he has asked for a middleweight title battle against Pereira at UFC 283, which takes place on January 21 in Rio de Janeiro, and that he will then return two months later to take on Covington at the anticipated UFC 285 event. "They want [me to fight] in March. I said to [UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby] and Dana, I'm ready for Pereira in Brazil as well," Chimaev said. "Directly after that, March. If Colby wants to fight, I'll take my [middleweight] title and go back to [welterweight]." He continued: “Who’s fighting in Brazil? I don’t understand. It’s not that good of an event so if they let us fight, it will be a big event.” The UFC enjoys the idea of Chimaev facing Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in March, according to Chimaev, who only received a response from Shelby. Yet Chimaev has not received any indication of Covington's side's desire. “He said, ‘OK brother, we go first Colby,’ so maybe Colby,” Chimaev said. “For me it doesn’t matter. Colby is just not talking about that fight and about me. Colby when he fights somebody, he just doesn’t stop talking… so we will see.” Chimaev, a Chechen who trains out of Sweden, is in a special situation. Although he is currently the No. 3 welterweight in the UFC, he has also fought at 170 and 185 pounds. After failing to make the scale for a bout versus Nate Diaz in September at a targeted 170-pound weight, he most recently faced Kevin Holland at a catchweight of 180 pounds. He appeared to be in a great position to threaten Israel Adesanya for the middleweight championship or Kamaru Usman for the welterweight championship since both were out of title contenders due to strong performances. But at UFC 281, Usman's championship was forfeited to Leon Edwards in September, and Adesanya was defeated by Pereira the following weekend. However, Chimaev fancies his capabilities if UFC is willing to schedule him against its new middleweight king in Brazil. Chimaev, a well-known powerful grappler, doesn't view former kickboxing champ Pereira as much of a threat. "If Israel takes him down and takes wrist control, punches -- this guy [couldn't] get up from there? I don't know how he would come up from me," Chimaev said. "Israel's ground game is a white belt, the other guy gets his brown belt, and he was under Israel. I don't understand. ... The guy has power, he's one of the best guys in striking. But on the ground, he was s---."

David Feldman, the founder of BKFC, gave the public an ETA for Paige VanZant's comeback. At Bare Knuckle FC 27 in August, the former UFC champion was slated to face Charisa Sigala. '12 Gauge' was informed that her battle had been postponed due to "logistical concerns," and she was unable to attend the event. Feldman recently spoke with Curran Bhatia about everything BKFC-related. The BKFC president disclosed that preparations are being made to have VanZant compete at Knuck Mania 3 early in the following year in Albuquerque on February 27, 2023, when asked when she may make her eagerly awaited comeback. "She'll fight February 27th for the Knuckle Mania 3 card... That one will take place in New Mexico. So that's gonna be a great card." Feldman further added a surprise that the promotion's biggest event to date will take place and hinted that at least three prominent figures are anticipated to appear. Whereas former UFC champion Paige VanZant has shared an update on her comeback to professional wrestling now that a date for her next BKFC battle has been determined. VanZant has submerged her feet in a variety of waters since she left the UFC in 2020 as a result of a fast submission loss to Amanda Ribas. "12 Gauge" has entered the world of pro wrestling in addition to maintaining her presence in combat sports thanks to a huge contract with the Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship. VanZant debuted in All Elite Wrestling in May of last year. The American Top Team member, 28, made her debut in a mixed tag-team bout after previously making appearances on AEW television with them. VanZant did, however, seem to put her success in the world of sports entertainment on wait as she shifted her attention back to fighting in the summer in preparation for a scheduled comeback in August. It's safe to say that the postponement of her match against Charisa Sigala in London has extended her absence from professional wrestling. VanZant, who was disappointed by the late failure, will try once more to make her third appearance under the BKFC brand. VanZant has provided an update on a comeback to professional wrestling, despite her current immediate focus being on her next opportunity to win in bare-knuckle fighting. VanZant recently responded to inquiries on Instagram and was questioned about her future with AEW. “Absolutely (I) will be (back) in AEW,” VanZant said. “But I don’t have any news on when yet. So stay tuned.”

The World Boxing Council (WBC) has ordered Errol Spence Jr. to defend his welterweight title against Keith Thurman. According to ESPN's Mike Coppinger, the order was made during the WBC's meeting in Mexico, and Spence will be able to defend his unified welterweight title. Spence, 32, has a professional record of 28-0 (22 knockouts). He most recently defended his WBC and IBF welterweight championships and earned the WBA title last April with a 10th-round TKO of Yordenis Ugas. Thurman, who turns 34 in November, is 29-1 with one no-contest in his career. In July 2019, he lost a split decision to boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Thurman lost the WBA welterweight belt in that fight. Since then, he's won a unanimous decision over Mario Barrios in February. After talks between Spence and WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford (38-0) fell through, the Thurman fight became a reality. Coppinger described what occurred there. "Crawford is still in talks to meet Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed 147-pound title, but when it became evident that PBC was now targeting the first quarter of 2023 for that fight, Crawford chose to push through with a title defense to ensure he, like Spence, fought at least once in 2022." Crawford will instead face David Avanesyan on December 10. According to Lance Pugmire of USA Today, the Spence-Thurman battle is scheduled to take place in February.

Boxing fans will see at least one of their desired big fights in 2023. Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia announced Thursday on their Instagram accounts that their representatives had completed a deal for the popular knockout artists to meet in a much-anticipated showdown in 2023 on a date to be determined. Their 12-round fight will be a Showtime Pay-Per-View main event from an undetermined venue in Las Vegas, with a catch weight of 136 pounds. Davis, of Baltimore, also confirmed on Twitter that he will fight on January 7 against an opponent whom he did not name. This fight is also expected to headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View event from a Washington, D.C. venue. “This is the fight I want and this is the fight boxing needs,” Garcia stated in a press release. “The hype, the storylines, the two athletes defining their sport inside the ring and out. I am going to knock ‘Tank’ out and take my place as the face of our incredible sport, and I’m bringing a new generation of boxing fans with me. I appreciate Tank volunteering to get beat so that I can get to work.” Negotiating distribution rights in the United States took several weeks, even after Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) and Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) publicly stated their desire to close the deal. Following the collapse of the highly anticipated Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. welterweight title fight last month, Showtime and DAZN eventually reached an agreement. The Davis-Garcia telecast will be handled by Showtime's broadcast and production teams. The event will also be available for purchase on DAZN, though it will not be a joint pay-per-view venture. Davis' last 11 fights have been broadcast live on Showtime or on pay-per-view. Garcia's previous seven fights have all been streamed on DAZN. Davis, 28, and Garcia, 24, had hoped to fight on January 7, but Davis will now have what is likely to be a warm-up fight before the Garcia fight. Davis is scheduled to appear in a Baltimore courtroom on February 16 for what appears to be a short trial related to misdemeanor motor vehicle violations Davis allegedly committed in his hometown in November 2020. Davis has been charged with 14 traffic violations as a result of a hit-and-run. If Davis wins on January 7, the outcome of that case will most likely determine the date of his fight with Garcia.

The mixed martial arts community values the surname Nurmagomedov highly. The name represents power, from Khabib Nurmagomedov to Umar Nurmagomedov. Additionally, the Nurmagomedovs is in charge of the entire sport, not just the UFC. Usman Nurmagomedov, who rules Bellator's 155-pound class, is arguably the finest fighter outside of the UFC. Bellator lightweight undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov is prepared to change the destiny of Bellator. “What he used to do from the age of, let’s say 25 to 28, he will never be able to repeat it,” Nurmagomedov told reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “Even if he wants it too much, it’s not going to happen. He’s old, he’s 36.” In the co-main event of Bellator 288 at Wintrust Arena, Nurmagomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) faces Patricky Freire for the lightweight championship. It will be the first five-round battle of his spotless career, but he is confident that he is up to the challenge. Nurmagomedov feels it would be pointless for him to examine the film of Freire's earlier battles because of his advanced age. The 24-year-old Dagestani is confident that his age will help him get his fifth Bellator victory, which would earn him a trophy and a historical legacy. “My name will be written in the history books forever,” Nurmagomedov said. “There was a time nobody would sign fighters from the Caucasus. Nobody knew where Dagestan is, where this part of Russia is located. Now we have two champions from Dagestan in the UFC – past and present. I want to be the first Bellator champion from Dagestan. Nobody will take this away from me. No matter what happens in the future, my name will be saved in the history books.” While Patricky Freire is the lightweight champion of Bellator, he will still be the underdog at Friday's Bellator 288. No matter the odds, Freire (24-10 MMA, 15-8 BMMA) is comfortable going into his matchup with Usman Nurmagomedov. In Freire's opinion, he has been the underdog his entire career, so this is merely a repetition of a beat that has already been going on. “I like to prove everybody wrong,” Freire told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “When I came to Bellator, it was the same for a long time, long years, a lot of years. I was the underdog. I don’t care about this. It is motivating. I want to prove these people wrong. It motivates me a lot. ” Nurmagomedov is popular. Due to the constant pressure and all-around strength of Nurmagomedov, many fans and members of the media view the invasion of Eastern European lightweight contenders in Bellator as a championship death sentence for him

Mike Perry asserts that the Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is where he is earning the most money. Page was defeated in August at BKFC 27 in London by Mike Perry, who joined the promotion in October of last year when his contract with the UFC expired. He is now 2-0 in the BKFC career and competes in the middleweight division of the BKFC. Mike "Platinum" Perry disclosed that his income at BKFC is at least twice as much as his pay at the UFC. Mike Perry, a 15-fight UFC veteran, was approached by Ariel Helwani to quantify how much money he makes in BKFC as opposed to UFC. Perry answered: “Well, I think I made more in Triller [than BKFC].” Perry added, “But there was more light on us in the bare-knuckle [BKFC] as well as good money.” Helwani inquired yet again as to whether his income in BKFC is higher than it was in the UFC. Perry expressed that: “I’m making double. Or more than double because now, they took some pressure off, I guess, with…I need to think about it that way sometimes as if there was a win purse. Triller gave me a good win bonus. I had something to fight for extra. But not having to think about the other side of it, I really just felt like I got to be me.” "Platinum" proposed that his entire BKFC fight purse be predetermined rather than being granted a bonus if he wins his match. He knew he would be paid generously whether he won or lost when making his BKFC debut. Perry also highlighted that he wasn't sick or exhausted before the battle. Because of that, he was able to go all-out during his bare-knuckle boxing debut at BKFC: KnuckleMania 2. Perry further emphasized that because he received good pay, he fought without restraint. He wasn't too concerned about the possibility of breaking his hand or leg and missing a month or two of play. Perry discussed his time at BKFC and his latest battle with Michael Page in a recent edition of Brendan Schaub's Food Truck Diaries: "I gotta say, man. Bare Knuckle's talking real money. They're offering much more than I've ever seen in my entire life. It's boxing money. I show up and I get the money. With the 'MVP' fight, I got paid regardless and then there was a little bit of a win bonus on top of that." Perry could be making fun of his former UFC bosses by referring to his BKFC wallet as "boxing money." 'Platinum' said he believes BKFC pays its participants more money than he's "ever seen" in a fight, about former MMA fighters switching to boxing to earn more cash.

Andy Ruiz Jr. believes he will knock out Deontay Wilder in their upcoming fight. The WBC ordered the fight between Ruiz Jr. and Wilder, with the winner facing Tyson Fury. Both men have been calling for a fight for quite some time, and Ruiz Jr. believes the difference will be that he can take a punch, whereas Wilder will not be able to take his power. “For me, I feel like I can take a punch. I’m not saying that [Wilder] doesn’t hit hard or nothing,” Ruiz Jr. told Boxing Social. “I’m gonna get in, I’m gonna throw my combinations, I’m gonna be fast, explosive, and I throw that right hand, in his temple, and he’s gonna go down … We’re right here trying to stay busy and trying to stay focused.” Andy Ruiz Jr. has previously stated that he would KO Deontay Wilder. He also believes his size will benefit him because Wilder will have difficulty dealing with his speed and fighting someone so much shorter. “I’m really confident,” Ruiz Jr. recently said in a separate interview. “Nobody can really match my style. Once they get inside that ring, I’m like a different person. I feel the abilities that I have, the power, the quickness, the movement, and me being short is an advantage … It’s harder for the taller guys to fight shorter guys that move around and that are fast. I’m gonna win [against Wilder].” Ruiz Jr. comes into the fight on a two-fight winning streak, most recently a decision victory over Luis Ortiz in September. Prior to that, he defeated Chris Arreola by decision in his first fight since losing his heavyweight titles by decision to Anthony Joshua.

Terence Crawford believes he does not need to fight Errol Spence Jr. before the end of his career. Crawford vs. Spence Jr. is a huge fight that many fans are excited to see. However, for a variety of reasons, it hasn't happened, and Crawford doesn't believe it will have a negative impact on his legacy if it never does. “Well, I think it’s a great fight for both our legacies and for boxing as a whole,” Crawford said Max Kellerman on his Max on Boxing show. “But at the same time, you know, I think, you know, a lotta people is reaching when they say it’s gonna damage my legacy. You know, I’m a three-weight world champion, I’m a former undisputed world champion. You know, I have accomplished a lot in boxing. You know, so I really don’t think it’ll damage my legacy. You know, it’ll just go down as one of the biggest fights that never happened.” Crawford believes this is due to the fact that Sugar Ray Leonard never fought. He added “When you look back at, you know, ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard versus Aaron Pryor,” Crawford said, “they never fought each other and, you know, both of them is still considered two of the greatest fighters that ever fought.” Although Terence Crawford claims that never fighting Errol Spence Jr. will have no effect on his legacy, he does hope it happens. 'Bud' still wants the fight and hopes it will take place in 2023. “By no means am I not saying that it’s not important to get that fight,” Crawford said. “You know, like I been saying for years, that’s the fight that I want. That’s the fight that I been trying to secure. That’s the fight that fans wanna see. You know, but at some point, you know, all you could do is so much. "I been doing all that I can to try to get that fight, and I’m still the one to be blamed for not making the fight happen. You know, so I’m gonna continue to try to, you know, get that fight done and, you know, sealed, so everybody can see who the best fighter in the world is. You know, that’s all I could do. That’s all I could do.” Will we ever get to see the two best boxers in their division fight each other? Or will it be another Boxing's what if story?

Early in 2023, John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade will square off for the ONE bantamweight championship after their last clash was marred by drama. An unintentional knee to the groin suffered by Lineker during their first encounter at One on Prime Video 3 made him unable to compete, and the match was declared a no-contest. The contest for the bantamweight championship will be shown live on ONE on Prime Video 7 on February 10 at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia, according to promotional officials. The One bantamweight title is currently unoccupied. Lineker was stripped of the gold strap after failing to make weight by barely 0.75 pounds before the contest. After a lengthy tenure with the UFC, Lineker joined ONE and has since gone undefeated. At ONE Championship: Lights Out in March, the 32-year-old won the bantamweight division by knocking out Bibiano Fernandes in the second round. Before the no-contest, Andrade had won seven straight matches. He has a perfect 5-0 record under the One flag, winning each of his matches within the mark. Since starting his professional career in 2014, the 25-year-old Brazilian has an 8-2 record. In the first encounter, Andrade appeared to be heading for the championship after inflicting damage on Lineker until the unintentional fight-ending blow landed.

Victoria Lee, the younger sister of ONE Atomweight and Lightweight champions Angela and Christian Lee, has scheduled her first fight in almost a year. Since her entrance in 2021, "The Prodigy" has dominated the competition, rising in the rankings and demonstrating that the hype is genuine. One of the mixed martial arts families with the most awards is the Lee family. Victoria, the youngest, aspires to succeed with her older siblings as champions. Christian Lee feels his younger sister possesses extraordinary abilities. It's impossible to not be amazed by "The Prodigy" given what she has accomplished by the age of 18. At the upcoming ONE on Prime Video 6 event, which will take place on January 13 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, the 18-year-old contender will make a comeback against Zeba Bano. Following in the footsteps of her older siblings, Lee joined ONE Championship and presently holds a perfect 3-0 record. She made a huge entrance by submitting Thailand's Sunisa Srisan in the second round of their match. She then quickly ended Wang Luping's three-fight winning streak with a submission in the opening round. In September 2021, Lee made her most recent debut, defeating previously unbeaten promotional rookie Victoria Souza via TKO. Following her original agreement with ONE when she was just 16 years old, Lee will now try to continue her fighting career. A previously undisclosed ailment prohibited Lee from making her return any sooner. She is still the ONE team's youngest combatant. In terms of Bano, she has a current record of 1-1 after losing to Nat Jaroonsak in her lone appearance in the ONE Championship back in May. The headlining match on the ONE on Prime Video 6 card between Lee and the Indian fighter, 24, will require her to pull off a major upset. Lee has demonstrated that she possesses the ability to compete successfully in the division both now and in the years to come. The young phenomenon might be prepared to compete against bigger personalities in the promotion's dynamic roster now that she has completed high school.

Jake Paul has publicly committed to fight Tommy Fury in the United Kingdom in February. On Twitter, the YouTuber-turned-boxer messaged Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, giving him seven days to react and confirm the match. Paul's tweet was in response to a video of Tommy Fury's father, trainer John Fury, speaking at the post-fight press conference on Sunday. Paul sat ringside for Fury's exhibition fight against Rolly Lambert, and the two camps got heated during the fight. After the battle, John said of Paul and his manager Nakisa Bidarian, 'I led him down, backed him into a corner, and checkmated him, and he's agreed to a February fight.' 'He shook my hand and gave me his word of honor – his manager. It's happening in February. 'I said, 'Listen, if you renege or back out, you'll never live it down in your life. You can't break a man's handshake.' 'Contract's mean nothing to me, but a handshake does. My word – you can build a tower block on it.'He's given me his word, his manager, we fight in February.' Fury and Paul were set to fight twice, but the former was forced to withdraw on both occasions, the first due to injury and the second due to being barred from traveling to the United States. Paul had a heated argument with both Tommy and his father, John, following the Love Island star's dismal performance in his short-notice exhibition battle against Lambert. And the pair, who have repeatedly insulted each other, were at it again, with Paul screaming 'you're f***ing s**t' and 'you've got no d**k' at Fury throughout the display. Throughout the fight, Fury retaliated by calling his long-term adversary a "b***h" during the third round of their six-round fight. The violent argument between Paul and both Tommy and John Fury began after the bout. The heat between Fury's and Paul's camp is increasing day by day. And now all the fans want is for these two to face each other in the ring and settle the debate for who the best boxer really is between them.

Gervonta Davis' return to the ring appears to be on the horizon. The knockout artist announced on his verified Instagram account on Tuesday that he will fight in Washington, D.C. in January. Davis did not provide an exact date, venue, or opponent, and he quickly deleted the post announcing the news. Davis has recently been in talks to fight rising upstart Ryan Garcia in a superfight. Garcia stated in late October that he had agreed to a 136-pound catchweight bout against Davis in January, but that "we gotta get the [bullsh!t] figured out." One of the major points of contention in the negotiations has been who will carry pay-per-view distribution rights between Showtime and DAZN. Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) was born and raised in Baltimore, and Washington DC is nearly 40 miles away, so if his 2023 return goes as planned, he should receive a strong showing from his hometown fans. Davis could presumably headline a show at Capital One Arena, which is home to the Washington Wizards and Washington Wizards. Davis has been a box office draw in similar venues and markets as Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Antonio, and Baltimore, but he has never headlined a show in the nation's capital. Davis faces a trial date of December 12 for a hit-and-run incident in November 2020 after a Baltimore judge rejected a plea agreement in September. Davis last fought in May, when he defeated Rolando Romero via TKO in six rounds.